Natural Remedies
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: Makes him glad his father stuck to conventional tablets and had the opposite to a green thumb. Though his brother wasn't exactly gardening…


Author's Notes

Pheonix09 wanted Kouji sick this time, so here it is. Admittedly a bit later then he said, but the idea just occurred to me…

I've only played Go once in my life. The new math club at uni. Apparently beginner's luck played quite a factor…putting a beginner against a beginner. But I find it rather less intense than chess.

Enjoy and tell me what you think.

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><p><span>Natural Remedies<span>

Makes him glad his father stuck to conventional tablets and had the opposite to a green thumb. Though his brother wasn't exactly gardening…

Kouji M/Koji & Kouichi K/Koichi

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><p>'Uck. Ni-san, this stuff is disgusting!'<p>

Kouichi grinned a little at his obvious discomfort, evidently trying quite hard not to burst out into uncontrollable laughter, before sipping at his own tea with no further change in expression.

'Be thankful you don't have a stuffed nose,' he said to the other, who's voice sounded hoarse but by no means blocked in any way. 'But you get used to the taste.'

Kouji attempted to glare at him over the cup the other had forced into his hand, but the effect was rather diminished by the red-rimmed eyes and dark circles. The younger didn't get sick often, but when he did, it certainly took its toll in terms of appearance. And of course no-one listened to him claim it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked.

It just so happened that he had been sleeping over at their mother's when the worst of it hit, and said mother had left for work without waking them. As such, the onus fell to the elder twin to nurse the younger back to health.

And as Kouji had started finding out, it wasn't the methods he was used to, namely some Panadol off the counter. Generally a week's worth.

Nope. Kouichi's first actions were to make sure the other didn't leave like he had been planning to after he wilfully ignored the fever he had woken up with, even going so far as threatening to lock him in the cupboard. Of course, Kouji wasn't sure whether the other meant the threat or not, but decided it would be a decisively bad idea to risk it, especially seeing as Kouichi had a habit of forgetting where he put things…including keys. So he _could_ theoretically wind up locked in there until he either managed to track down the key or their mother returned home and guessed its location with a little more aptitude than either son.

His second was to make sure Kouji went back to sleep after eating breakfast and drinking fluids, then waking him up for lunch (chicken soup)…and evidently tea.

And no ordinary tea either.

'What the heck's in this stuff?' He would have pushed it away, but he was slightly worried he would hurt his brother's feelings…and the coughing distracted him for a minute.

'Tea,' the other shrugged. 'Garlic, ginger, seaweed, honey, boiled water and whatever tea leaves are made of and some root I've forgotten the name of.'

Kouji grimaced at the list. 'No wonder it tastes so weird.'

'It's good for colds. Just be happy we're not in China and Oji-san's not giving you snake skin.'

The other gagged at that, doubly thankful he hadn't taken another sip. '_Snake_ skin?'

'Yes, it gets rid of the symptoms quite fast.' Kouichi spoke with a largely nostalgic tone, though it was slightly reprimanding. 'Finish drinking your tea.'

'I'm fine,' the other insisted, ruining it immediately by coughing into his sleeve.

'Oh really?' Kouichi pulled off a rather passable imitation of his brother's manner, raising a dark eyebrow.

'I'll bet your tea is perfectly normal,' the other grumbled, but at a glare from his brother, currently much better than his own, he took another sip, fighting the urge to gag again before deciding that the sips were simply prolonging his suffering and quickly devoured the rest.

'Just the roots,' Kouichi replied. 'They do grow in the back garden after all.'

'And you dumped everything else to torture me.' If only his voice was stronger, the damn cough went away, and the fever dropped…

'To help with your cold,' Kouichi corrected. 'You get used to the taste when you get colds as often as I do. Don't know how I managed to get away with catching yours.' He gave the other a look. 'Are you done with the tea or do I need to tip it down your throat?'

He actually got up to execute that action.

'Ye-no.' Grimacing again, he gulped down the rest, glaring at the residue that settled at the bottom. 'Couldn't you at least put _sugar_ in it?'

'Nope.' Kouichi shook his head, hair flying haphazardly unlike his brother's tamer mane. 'Sugar isn't good for you when you have a cold.'

Another new tip. He'd given up complaining he was hot with the extra layer.

Not that he thought about it, he hadn't complained so much in a _long_ long time.

'Or milk?'

'Dairy's no good either.'

'Seriously…' Kouji groaned for what felt like the hundredth time. 'Now you're going to send me straight back to bed.'

Kouichi did laugh this time. It was adorable watching his brother so put out. 'Sleeping all day isn't exactly healthy,' he said. 'How about a game of Go?'

They did need _something_ to pass the time.

'Fine, but I'm black.'

'But _I'm_ always black.'

'So what? You can be white this time.'


End file.
